In 2016, a glorious new show called Galavant aired on ABC. It is a musical series set in the medieval era about a washed up hero regaining his title as a hero. Already, I know I’ve confused some people and convinced others to skip this show. As cringy as it may sound, I will confirm that I forced many of my friends who dislike musicals and the medieval era to watch it, and they actually enjoyed it! Hence, here are some reasons you should watch it too.
- Fun Music
I understand there are some people out there who aren’t into musicals and I respect that. Speaking as a former theater kid who (thankfully) stepped out of her musical phase and on behalf of numerous people who have seen the show and hate musicals, I can confirm that the songs are still funny and entertaining. One of the cunning and clever aspects of the show is that it makes fun of itself. The song that introduces the second season literally says, “we’re gonna have to kill you if you sing [the theme song]. It didn’t win an Emmy, now it’s time to move along.” For those of you who are musical fans, however, there are multiple songs that mock famous musicals, such as “Dwarves vs. Giants” (mocking West Side Story), “Today We Rise” (mocking Les Misèreables), and “I Don’t Like You” (mocking Hamilton).
- Celebrity Guest Stars (including Weird Al Yankovic!)
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Weird Al Yankovic surprisingly appears in multiple episodes of the series playing a monk who only speaks in refrain. It’s completely ridiculous yet hilarious at the same time. Other notable guest stars include Hugh Bonneville, known most from Downton Abbey, who plays a pirate captain of the “lords of the sea” who actually just rule on land gardening sustainably and making organic desserts.
- A Dragon (maybe)
In Season 2, King Richard stupidly trades the precious jewel of Valencia, the object of most value that he and his traveling partner have to fulfill their quest, for a “dragon.” What Richard fails to recognize is that his dragon, named Tad Cooper, looks exactly like a bearded dragon lizard. An entire episode is humorously dedicated to the drama that grows between Richard and Galavant because of this, including one of my favorite songs from the show, “My Dragon Pal and Me.” (if you ever see a girl with a sticker of a bearded dragon saying “My pet dragon and me,” that’s me lol). If you stay with this show until the last episode, you’ll discover whether Tad Cooper is a true dragon or not.
I understand that the snapshot I’ve given of Galavant might be confusing or chaotic, but that’s frankly what makes it so glorious. If you are open minded to quirky shows and enjoy romance and comedy, I highly encourage you to give the series a try. Galavant is currently streaming on Hulu.